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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · nail · fall · season · can · rock · march · roll

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. march — the month
  3. firm — decided
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. season — of the year
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fall — to drop
  8. season — in sport
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. can — a tin
  11. roll — a list
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. can — a tin
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — a company
  20. can — to be able to
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. roll — a cake
  24. rock — a stone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com